Far Fallen
by MLPPP217
Summary: An Alicorn from another time is flung into the very far future. Can he come to terms with his new reality or will his mind spiral into madness?
1. Fallen Empire

**Fallen Empire**

Waking up at three in the morning is never good for anyone who wants to be healthy. Going to bed at midnight gave me three hours to sleep and this combined with the amount of stress and pressure I was under right now made me feel like complete crap.

I yawned rather loudly and sat up and dusted myself down before moving to the bathroom, carefully stepping over paper and files to have a quick shower before my day of intense shouting at people and trying very hard to organize one hundred thousand workers of a highly scientific and advanced project devoted to saving my race.

I swiped my card on the door to the High Overseer's office and entered quietly through the door. The High Overseer was a tall old grey Alicorn with a whitening grey mane, powerful having served half his life in the military and pretty much the rest in politics he was the sole funder of this project and probably the only Alicorn other than me who probably hadn't slept well in months.

He was talking with two other Alicorn, by the looks of them newbies fresh from the recruitment offices. They both looked to be scientists and were quite obviously nervous and were not ashamed to hide it probably meaning that they were scientists. The way they held themselves also, their composure not tense but firm and focused also their eyes looked like that of a really smart Alicorn but one of them who wore glasses tried to look trendy by wearing some small loose fitting ones but it didn't really hide it.

"Ah, this is the very Alicorn I was just talking about the good Doctor Hearthfire, the very Alicorn who has kept the project on track so long and enabled us to build so fast with his… interesting ways of managing our workforce and inspiring our scientists much like yourself to work faster" said the High Overseer with a twinkle in his eye as he looked at me as a Father would a son.

Some may have blushed but I was too tired to actually show any emotional response except a small smile. That and also the fact that he'd said the exact same thing to every newbie to the project when I came through the door every day at exactly three fifteen.

"I wouldn't say I'm the only one High Overseer but I suppose I help a lot in the organization of the project" I said as I strolled over to his personal coffee machine and made myself a cup whilst the High Overseer went over the normal briefing that he went over with every new Alicorn which came into the projects folds.

"As you may or may not be aware from the speculation above ground our little bunker here is going to be the future of the Alicorn race and you two are going to be a part of it" began the High Overseer as my coffee finally finished and I took a sip. "Although many believe that we are crazy and that the plague above ground will simply blow off and everything will go back to normal as the government says I beg to differ as do the thousands of workers and scientists stationed here to solve our problem" said the High Overseer with such certainty in his voice that he would have made a believer out any normal Alicorn on the street.

"Sorry sir but although we have heard rumours about you planning towards the case that the virus kills everything topside we don't actually know what it is you are building and why you need us" asked the scientist with the glasses.

The High Overseer was about to answer but I cut in this time saying "Since this virus is smarter than anything we've dealt with before it cannot simply be cured it just mutates and goes on killing, since we all know that it targets the brain cells, slowly killing off cells until the Alicorn is left a vegetable who needs help to breathing then it's been pretty easy to detect since usually memory is the first to fail, then creativity, speech and so on until not even basic instinct remains".

"Precisely why we are working on a better solution to the problem which is to completely wipe out the virus using the most efficient killer to ever walk the Earth" said the High Overseer, taking back the conversation and the attention of the two young scientists. "Time… this baby sure can do a fine job of killing every living thing which is why we are going to outlive the virus so that it dies with time and then we remerge into the world and rebuild".

They both looked quite surprised by his answer and the other now asked in a ludicrous tone "how do you possibly hope to outlive a virus that could last for thousands of years"? "That my dear friends are easy, all we need to do is sleep through it and then we will wake up to a brighter tomorrow" replied the High Overseer.

The scientists looked at each other with confused expressions written on their faces and I explained "basically we're all working on building sleeper pods so that we all just go into them stay in stasis for a thousand years or so before above sensors detect that no virus is present and we restart the world".

"Not only that but this time we do it all right, no wars or cruelty, crime everything we have done over the past thousand years we erase and restart" "in a way this is a blessing from the highest authority" said the High Overseer.

"Which is why we need you two working on our advanced fuel cells wing, powering life pods to sustain thousands of Alicorn is going to drain fuel quickly so my PA will soon arrive and take you to your wing where your supervisor will further brief you and assign a task for you so until then are there any other questions you need" asked the High Overseer.

They of course near on fell off their chairs with questions involving everything from what shampoo the High Overseer used to the exact layout of the base.

After what seemed like an eternity and another five cups of coffee seeming to simply disappear as I waited the Scientists finally left with their clipboards tucked under their wings and discussing something about lighting problems.

"I thought they'd never want to leave" the High Overseer said, sighing and collapsing into his chair. I sat down in the recently vacated seat facing him and pulled a report file from my saddle bag and handed it to him.

It was general stuff like how the project was doing and recent small taxing problems but I didn't expect the reaction to be one of concern.

"What's wrong sir, did I miss something in the report" I asked him, leaning over the desk to get a better look at my file. "No it's not that Hearthfire it's just time…" sighed the High Overseer, throwing the report onto a pile on his desk the size of a mountain. "No it's not that my friend as always your reports are lawless and informative on our Project it's just that no matter how fast we try to work every day I'm hearing word of an infected worker or a scientist found drooling in his room from the Virus it makes me somewhat depressed…".

I frowned and looked up at the High Overseer "but you told everyone that we are making terrific progress". "Yes but it's not fast enough, it'll be a further two years until this base is fully operational with the resources and power to keep one hundred thousand Alicorn breathing for a few centuries and quite frankly I don't know if I will live to see next week".

I sat up in my chair and held my hoof out to The High Overseer all the time thinking why he would so suddenly be worried about death. "You're not that old sir and the small outbreaks have been successfully contained and controlled, work is going well and hopefully I can bring the numbers down to about a year and a half but you should take it easy for a few weeks while I handle your affairs for you" I offered.

"Heck son I didn't ask for you to go relieving my load I just think I might have too many miles on my clock to count" he said, picking up some reports with his magic and filing them to one side. He next opened his desk and took out his gun; quite a marvellous piece of engineering which he once told me was given to him upon his leaving of the Military after seventy years of service.

He proceeded to strip and clean his weapon while explaining to me "son, this gun has 9mm bullets and seventeen shots, it was fired once in my life and it was at my cheating wife's lover who was lucky enough my eye sight has deteriorated over the years and I caught him in the leg but if anything ever goes wrong and you need to kill someone, or yourself then just come on in".

"Don't worry sir, life is far too sweet for me to kill myself, besides I scored 70% on my marksmanship exam so I won't be killing anyone anytime soon" I told him as I used my magic to check my PDA and see what great tasks I had to do today besides helping create the only hope for us all to not become drooling, mindless beasts.

"Well son, alternatively there is a bottle of scotch in the fridge so you ever feel like drinking any problems away knock yourself out" said the High Overseer as he pulled a flask out of nowhere and took a sharp drink before returning to his gun.

I stood up and respectfully bowed my head to him before I walked out of his office and down the hallway to my office which was similar in size and also stacked full of papers for various things.

Just as I reached the door Dr Fahrenheit who worked in the office adjacent to mine was leaving. He was a very sly looking Alicorn with completely black eyes and a mane the colour of a very pale moon which just added to his aura of creepiness.

Fahrenheit never had really liked me because of my position and since I was the best Magician on site and one of the leading Doctor's in the world of Magical Sciences. "I see you've been talking with the High Overseer again" he mentioned as he input his locking code for his office.

I sighed as I put my code in and replied "Yes Fahrenheit I have just like every single day for the past two years I have and for the past two years you've said the exact same thing"!

He sniffed and held his head up looking at me for a few brief moments before strolling coolly away from me and more than likely going to find a place where he could complain or shout at someone.

I shook my head as I entered my office and threw my saddle bag onto the floor beside a dozen stacked up filing cabinets. I went over to my desk and brought up my holographic imager. It was an incredible invention derived originally from an ancient Alicorn device called a computer and it used a combination of magic and electricity to focus lights particles into structured shapes which the user could create.

Currently it had a long line of Algorithms and equations for a piece of magic which I was attempting to create. It was a small side project of mine which I did to unwind from it all when things got really tense.

Normally writing magic could be done easily enough but this piece of magic was probably one of the most complex spells ever to be created. I moved a couple of things around whilst I deleted other before flicking out of everything and closing the holographic imager and reaching across my desk to start signing off a few hundred supply orders and transfer requests.

My office wasn't dark but it was very cramped due to all the paper in it and smelled strongly of glue and mouldy cardboard which made it unpleasant to work in. However it was truly the only place I felt relaxed besides my bedroom.

Time passed quickly as I signed papers and faxed them away to another department and so on until it became nine o'clock in the morning and the morning workers finally changed shifts with the now tired night workers and brought with them new energy and more problems.

I got up and levitated over a few more files to add to some random pile before I exited my office and went for my check around the facility for problems and hopefully solutions to already on-going problems (not that I figured there'd be any).

Walking along the blank and dull white walled corridors of the Facility (it's actual name since no one actually had any idea what to name it) I realized that this was probably the worst day of my life so far.

Not that anything terrible had happened besides the reported deaths of about two more workers but the complete repetition and boringness of everything was really beginning to take effect on my psyche and I wasn't liking it one bit.

I couldn't actually remember the last time I'd laughed of my own accord and not because the conversation required a polite laugh or the last time when I'd sat down with a bottle of wine and got so drunk that I couldn't remember the primary laughs of Magic when I woke up the next morning.

I didn't work out much and this made my wings very weak since I didn't have space to use them indoors and although I wasn't fat (probably due to my work keeping me preoccupied) I was out of shape from my younger self who could probably turn back time twenty years whilst balancing a large cake on his head while doing a hoof stand.

I made space as two security guards clad in Black Protective Armour with their riot masks on went past me. I didn't think this was funny until I realised we weren't actually having a riot and spun round to see the barrel of a gun being levitated and pointing straight into my eyeball.

"Ok you are going to follow exactly what we tell you or you are going to have a very short life-span are we clear?" asked the unidentifiable obviously male Alicorn.

I looked at them bot through their tinted black helmets and then at the pistol pointing at my head and nodded solemnly, too afraid to actually talk or do anything.

They pushed the gun into my right side, keeping it to the rights side of the wall as we walked down the corridor back the way I'd came passing a few other Alicorn on our way there but I could never signal to them that something was ahoof.

Damn it this shit is not what I need right now, I told myself as I was escorted to spirits knows where by these two goons who I guessed must have been some kind of Freedom Fighters or Terrorists from the topside world. The Project had many of these haters who were either jealous or believed that the Spirits would save us all and so tried either peacefully or in this case violently to stop us or delay our research.

"Listen I don't know what it is you're after here but I would strongly suggest that you drop your weapons and come quietly and I promise you won't go before a firing squad" I said but for my efforts all I got was the butt of the pistol slammed into my head.

"Shut up, you're little project will fail all we're trying to do is make sure it fails faster so that everyone can follow the Spirits plans and accept that death is what is being given to us, we should have known that all the death and killing in the world would eventually lead to the Spirits taking vengeance on everyone!" said the imposter behind the guard who had his gun against me.

I'd have liked to have pointed out that they threatened to kill me but held my tongue since the situation was very delicate and I really preferred my lab coat to not get covered in my own blood.

After about ten minutes of walking through corridors we came to the Power house where a guard was standing to attention and looking suspiciously towards us.

"Dr Hearthfire is there something you require?" asked the guard. "Yes soldier, I require you to take a long break, go have some coffee, heck take the whole day off these men will cover for you" I ordered trying to get him out of the way before the two terrorists did something rash.

My efforts seemed fruitless however because as he began to stroll away the terrorist behind grabbed the guards neck and promptly snapped it before he could do anything. "What the buck did you do that for, he was leaving!" I yelled angrily at them both.

"He was a traitor to the Alicorn race and didn't deserve to live" said the terrorist who'd just killed the guard casually said.

I could only stare as I prayed that someone had recognised something was up from the hallways and alerted the nearest security patrol. My prayers were interrupted however when I was jerked forward towards the Power House doors where I was told viciously "Open the door"!

"Listen you two idiotic assholes, maybe you have the brains to sneak into the building but that's as far as it goes I'm not going to open this damn door no matter what you do to me so you'd best start formulating a new plan.

"Oh don't worry we don't have to tell you to open the door just ask" said the terrorist to my right. "What do you…" but I was cut-off mid-sentence when other guy grabbed me and held my mouth open whilst the other threw some pills down my throat. I tried to spit them out but it was too late and suddenly my sense of perspective began to get very fuzzy.

"Dr Hearthfire, please open the door to the Power House with your code please?" asked someone I didn't really know who ever so kindly. Dumbly I stepped woozily forward and fumbled as I opened the Power House. "Thank you Doctor" said the really polite voice.

Suddenly I was being pushed forwards really slowly, as if everything was in slow motion until I was at another control panel except a more complicated looking one. "Now please open the nuclear reactor doors Dr If you would be so kind?" came the voice again and once again I complied putting in the code.

"Thanks a bunch doc" said another voice, this one sounded very annoying and I didn't like it as much as the kind voice. I felt a little sick suddenly as reality came rushing back to me and suddenly I saw the two Terrorists in the main reactor which was below me.

I looked around and realised I was in a glass control room and saw desks where dead Alicorn littered the floor and a blinking Red light as well as some blast locked doors. I looked down at the two again and saw wires and cables all around them. They were setting bombs by the looks of it and by the look of it there bodies were dying quite quickly as their cells were destroyed by waves of radiation.

I realized this by the time my full sense of reality came back and suddenly I could hear the sirens and the radio on one of the control panels bleeping. I quickly ran over to it and pushing a dead body off it I opened up a com link and listened in. "…Base please evacuate the base all security teams are to evacuate the base there is a possibility of a nuclear explosion imminent which will destroy the entire facility" came the High Overseer's voice from the com channel.

I picked up a nearby mike and shouted "High Overseer it's me, do you know what happened"? "Damned if I know, I tried calling your PDA but you didn't answer, Security Team 5 found a dead guard to the Power House and the Control room doors blast door shut so we assume that some unknown force is trying to blow the reactors" he said hurriedly.

"I'm sorry sir it's all my fault, I was passing on my routine check-up and two unknown Personnel took me hostage and drugged me to open the security doors now I can see them from the control room, they're trying to blow the reactor like you said and it looks like they're getting close".

"Damn it, ok this is what you need to do, from the control room you can activate Jettison Protocol and jettison all the Uranium rods into a stored led container that will make sure the base isn't destroyed at least" said the High Overseer grimness evident in his voice.

"But sir the Project will fail without necessary power, we don't have the resources to retrieve the rods or get any more from topside" I said panicking as I didn't know what to do. "Damn it Hearthfire just do it or you and the rest of this facility will die, we'll find another way to power the pods!" he shouted before he hung up.

"Crap!" I shouted, flinging the microphone across the room. I felt terrible from the drugs affect but the combined stress made it viable for me to burst a pulsating vein on my head. I sighed and tried to calm down but I couldn't I'd worked so hard on this project and now two guys thought they could tear it all down.

"Fine" I said to myself "but you won't take everyone with the project". I got over to the Power House Commander's desk and brought up his holographic imager. I logged into it and began tapping random things across the light screen until the Protocol which I really didn't want to use was staring right in front of me.

"Ok" was all I said as I pressed the button and listened as the entire control panel was silent for a moment, then the Fuel rods all at once were jettisoned deep down into a lead holding dump where they would be contained for millions of years, probably polluting the soils as the gamma rays leaked out over time.

I ran back to the main control room and looked down at the two terrorists who watched as the lights began to dim and flicker and suddenly a robotic female voice sounded throughout the facility "Main Power has been disabled, emergency power activated".

The two looked at each other and then looked up at the control tower and me, rage seemed to be etched all over their posture since I couldn't see their faces and they despite being unable to blow up the entire facility clicked the button on their chests and brain registered that they probably wanted to blow me up before a gigantic explosion ripped apart the once inhabited Nuclear Reactor and came towards me.

I had ample time to dive behind cover, possibly this would have increased my chances of survival but I didn't want to, they had won in the end, the project was over they had destroyed the hopes and the dreams of many thousands and I didn't want to be held responsible for my part which I so stupidly played in it.

I with all my degrees in science and magic, with all my power couldn't stop two suicidal musclemen when they pointed a gun at me. Frankly as the explosion hurtled towards me I was a bit relieved, at least before the glass exploded and sent me flying back against the wall…

I didn't know if I was still alive but since I couldn't feel anything I assumed not and wondered if I was right and that the Spirits didn't exist and that only darkness came after death. However my brain (at least I thought It was) began to argue with itself as my vision began to turn red and I was convinced this was definitely the underworld.

I was further convinced when a burly figure began to materialise, probably a demon sent to torture me. However the demon soon materialised into the High Overseer and the red began flickering and I realised that I was being carried on a stretcher by two guards whilst sirens and other warning systems blared throughout the facility.

The High Overseer was irate and looked really worried, it tried to move or speak but pain exploded every time I tried, breathing even hurt so I simply kept one eye cracked slightly open.

The High Overseer noticed I had reached some form of consciousness and spoke quickly "listen Hearthfire, for one so young you are old and wise in mentality and I liked that the first time you came to the project when it was in early days". "I never really talk of my past but I had a son once, before the plague took him and you remind me of him his strong moral sense and his ability to sum people up at a glance however peculiar you may be, so please don't think of this as the foolishness of an old man when you wake up" he said.

I couldn't quite understand what he was talking about but suddenly I was being lifted out of the stretcher by unknown arms and carried painfully into a really soft place, like a bed but more only mattress.

Suddenly I felt wires begin to hook up to my body and then an injection being given to me. I thought they were trying to fix me up but suddenly everything began to move and the last thing I saw was the High Overseer's face before a piece of black metal covered my view and I realised this was a sleeper pod.

I tried to think what the hell I was doing in one but then the world turned to blue as my body was frozen in time.

I began to remember something then and there I was….

_I was ten and all the smartass who would outwit the school bullies and lead the fake conquests to fabled lands of old with my gang of friends at my back and an arrogant swagger to propel myself forward. I had a bright Red mane and an equally bright red coat which lacked the sheen I was told my mane could carry but my eyes were a deep brown I was told, like my Father's._

_It was a normal Monday and it was lunch so our imaginations went with and we did a bunch of stuff like air tag or who can lift the biggest rock with their magic. However we were playing hide and seek and I was seeking and as usual everyone had opted to most likely hide in a cloud so I decided it would be funny to leave them up there and teach them a lesson._

_So instead I went for a walk around the school yard, checking out the other groups of Alicorn and everyone who went by until I was on a fly ball court all alone and really bored and decided that I should go find my friends._

_However I suddenly heard shouts of protest and opted instead to check out what was happening at the end of the court. I flew over to the origin of the shouts and that's when I saw a green filly with a light green mane about the same age as me irate and flying to and fro as three bulky Alicorn threw her bag around and taunted her._

_"Look at the little filly, she wants her bag" said a fat orange one. "Well she doesn't want it that badly I mean she's barely trying" said a thin and sick looking thin one. She's just a pathetic little girl who can't do anything right said a powerful black colt who showed off his dazzling white smile as he flew circles around her._

_I thought briefly if I should just turn away and ignore them but a sense of moral code which I even possessed then told me that I should really do something so I stepped up._

_"Hi there guys, looks like you're having a fun game of catch there" I said revealing myself for the first time and making them all look round in surprise. "What, where the heck did you come from" said the fat one. "Oh nowhere in particular I just came this way to warn any unsuspecting bullies that some teachers are heading this way" I said brushing some dirt off my shoulder coolly._

_"T-Teachers?" questioned the skinny one in a panicked tone. "Yes about five I'd say so how about we give the girl her bag back and get out of here before we all get caught" I said pretending to be on their side._

_Fat guy and skinny looked like they would comply but the strong looking black colt was too sly, "Oh I know you, you're that smartass who got moved up a class cause he's better than his age group" he said taking a step towards me and dropping the filly's bag._

_"Oh and your that guy who got sent back a few years with your pals because you couldn't spell Cat properly without copying from the guy next to you" I said giving a reasonably good comeback. "Hey cat is a hard word to spell" said the fat colt stupidly before his sickly friend punched him in the gut._

_"That's it, guys let's get this punk" said the leader and so they charged…_


	2. Kicking Up Dust

**Kicking Up Dust**

I gasped and tried to sit up, only to be met with col hard steel which hit my head with a loud crack. Instantly I felt woozy and realized I was freezing cold. It was dark so I couldn't see anything as I looked everywhere I could however begin to sense things again and all I could smell was stale air and freshness like rainwater. I could feel hardly anything from the cold but realised I was lying on my side in a sleeper pod which was confusing since I didn't remember getting into one or actually being assigned one yet. Next my hearing, although somewhat hazy I thought I heard the sound of running water like a waterfall or something.

Since it was so dark I presumed the power coupling had failed to my pod so I used what little strength I had to kick at the pod's hatch. My strength was virtually nothing but it was oddly enough to kick out the supposedly reinforced metal of the pod as if it were a pillow full of goose feathers.

I wriggled out of the pod as best I could but didn't really know which limbs I was using since they were all so numb and I fell out and onto the tiled floor with a loud crack being very audible. I lay there for a moment as my brain tried to comprehend why it couldn't detect my limbs and then came up with a hazy solution… get warm fast!

So I gathered up as much energy as I could possibly muster and heated my body using and about three metes around me as well. I felt good for a brief few moments before the heat spell I performed unfroze the memories which I had lost due to the Sleeper pod and all came back to me.

I remembered the terrorists, the explosion, the sirens and the High Overseer putting me in this pod. I didn't really have it all there but I wondered if they had solved the power problem and maybe were all waking up in there corresponding pods right this moment.

I looked around to try and determine where I was but couldn't find anything of relevancy since it was just as dark as in the pod. The tiles felt cold beneath my feet and the air tasted bad but I guessed a facility unattended for a few thousand years can go into disrepair.

I still couldn't move so I made this my first priority by trying to move my right front hoof. Progress was really slow and after what was hours finally it began to twitch lightly as I got the feeling back into it.

I lay my head down, already exhausted from the over exertion and so tried to move again this time my whole front leg moved, then my other leg and soon I was standing on my own feet, although somewhat shaky like a new born baby foal.

Next I decided I should figure out the darn light problem and so using all my energy reserves I tapped into my magical power and brought an array of red light energy across the room with my horn. It wasn't very big, about the size of a standard hospital room however the light bathed things I'd expect to see in an armoury in red light; Black Strike Armour all dusty and patchy, weapons which had long since rusted, monitors with dusty and smashed screens along with their corresponding control systems. The entire place looked like an abandoned strong room with the Pod in the centre of it.

My light flickered slightly as I looked for something in which might be a way out. My eye caught a section of corroded metal plating below the monitors and I stumbled over to. There was a faint green glow coming from beneath it and I investigated trying to tear the metal away with my bare hooves.

It worked and I was met by a jumble of eaten away wires and by the looks of it two fuel rods cased in some heavy lead. I didn't want to ask about gamma rays or whatever I only wanted the power back on so I pushed one which was jutting out slightly and suddenly like a miracle two lights flickered on with bright intense light whilst another one blew out from the intense stress. The monitors flickered on, showing screens of green lettered computer coded and large error codes everywhere.

"Subject detected inside the strong room, identified as Dr Hearthfire of The Project" came the robotic female voice from what I supposed must have been thousands of years ago.

I coughed as I lent on a control panel and kicked up a hell of a lot of dust. "Computer where am I and more importantly when am I?" I asked. "Dr Hearthfire you are currently inside the Strong room of the High Overseer and you have been in suspended animation for 999,999.5 years although my system is reporting various errors so it may vary from a few degrees" said the computer flatly.

I gave an extra loud hack as I spluttered disbelievingly "wait 100,000 years"! "Yes Doctor you have been in suspended animation for…". "What the heck, where is everyone the other Alicorn the High Overseer have their Pods opened early or have they all just woken up?" I asked as I looked around the room for some water.

"I do not understand" said the VI and I asked frustratingly "where is everyone"! There was silence following my question but after half a minute the computer responded "Exactly 9999999.5 years ago a catastrophic site wise power loss occurred killing hundred from loss of energy and causing all emergency generators to be pushed to their maximum, this was caused by two Terrorists who forced Dr Hearthfire to jettison all Uranium main Power fuel rods in order to stop the Terrorists from destroying the entire base, ever since then after two weeks the Generators ran out of fuel and the ventilation systems stopped, Plague entered the base and within a year everyone working on the project was dead, although alternate ways were tried to turn the power back on it failed and currently there is one known survivor of that day" said the VI maybe with a hint of sadness in her voice although it may have been my imagination.

I stopped a moment and looked up at the various screens displaying error and failure codes across it and saw in it all the faces of the project I'd worked with. "All of them dead" I said aloud and held a hoof to my head.

"There are three messages from the High Overseer left on my database for the event of your awakening do you wish me to play them all?" asked the VI. "Yes" I said quietly as everything I'd ever done and achieved came back to me with one answer, you are alone.

I collapsed onto the floor and cradled my head as I began to weep, crying for the first time in well over 100,000 years like a foal who didn't understand.

The High Overseer's voice came on as I continued to sob but his voice didn't comfort me, it was the voice of a long dead Alicorn who sought to save his world but instead only saved me.

"Hearthfire, if you are receiving this then I assume that the automated protocol has revived your pod and that you have awakened exactly three thousand years from when I last saw you… I must say that you probably know now that I as are the rest of our race completely wiped out to oblivion and you are probably resenting me for sparing you, but this room was built in case this happens originally for me but since I am old and have nothing but you left to live for I put you into it instead".

He went on to explain the current situation on the base how power was limited and everyone was in a state of panic.

"Message one ended" said the VI "message two activated". "Hearthfire, it's been half a year now since I left my last message" "the ventilation system shut down months ago and we're all running on batteries now, we're trying to create a new fuel source using magic it's not enough and now the plague has begun killing so many, I know that we can't beat it now but I must put on a brave face for the families out there" he said solemnly.

My mind was a swirl a tragedy and loss; I was the last of my kind and would never again see another Alicorn besides myself if I looked in a cracked mirror. I then remembered what the High Overseer had said on the day when it happened, he had a gun in his desk and… it might still be working.

"Computer please open the door" I said quietly and the VI complied just as the third message began to play. I stumbled out of the door which on the outside actually the thick bookshelf was belonging to the High Overseer now just a bunch of blackened mouldy mush and into the High Overseer's office. His desk was still standing and I quickly threw open the doors and found the slightly rusted gun which still looked to be in perfect condition.

I clicked back the safety and put the barrel into my mouth and could only think with a sense of finality in my heart what a mess we'd made of it until the third message began to play. "Hearthfire I… I am sick I won't last long now, everyone else is dead, turned to vegetables and now me I-I don't want you to be disheartened by this Hearthfire because you are to do one last thing for me" said the High Overseer stuttering and fumbling over his words. "Live Hearthfire, survive and live, this isn't an order but a request from a dying Alicorn, thank you" and then the message cut off.

I looked at the gun held by magic which was in my mouth and wiped my eyes before levitating it back out and setting it on the damaged table. I walked over to the console where the message had been played and asked the computer "what are your current power levels"? "I have enough power to sustain only I for two years but even talking to you and keeping some lights on have affected that" she said.

I though briefly for a few minutes before asking "Is the route to the elevators clear"? "I can draw up and print out a map of directions to take as detect that some hallways have collapsed overtime". "Good I'll be ready in five minutes I just need to get some things" I said as I went over to what looked like a Minnie fridge and opened it.

"Are you saying you wish to go topside sir?" asked the VI. "Yes I am" I said retrieving some cans of sealed nutrients which looked airtight so I supposed must be ok to eat. "But top side could be covered in forests or be a wasteland you are weak and alone what would you do without the facility?" asked the VI ludicrously.

"Look I wanted to kill myself five minutes ago but I have orders from the High Overseer to survive so I'm going to eat my can of watery nutrients, put on the set of Armour over there which is least mouldy grab the High Overseer's gun before heading to the elevator and hopefully the sun unless it's also decided to disappear in the few thousand years I've been displaced from time!" I shouted angrily as I banged the lid off the tin and swallowed the disgusting slop.

It was bitter but it provided necessary energy which I vitally needed and if I thought really hard it tasted like peaches minus the peach.

Next I went over to the Armour and ran my fingers through the worn material. I dug through piles of Armour until I came to the bottom set which was amazingly still intact, more or less. I pulled the heavy material which could stop bullets over my head and stepped through the leg slats until my entire body was clad in protective material minus the helmets which had all rusted away.

I checked the guns on the walls but as I had inspected earlier at least one component each on them was useless however if I ever did come back then there was a possibility that I could use the pieces to forge a new one if I ever truly needed. I put the nutrient cans in my right black saddle bag and picked up a pistol holster from the pile of clothes which despite being covered with small holes still worked and fitted me.

I went back and retrieved the High Overseer's gun and holstered it checking the clip to see it was full before doing so.

"Although I am bound to this facility I wish you the best of luck Dr and I… am sorry" said the VI and something in its voice made me believe it. "Yeah well it was nice talking with you just shut down after I leave and lock this room" I told it after grabbing the small map printout and heading out of the High Overseer's office and into the facility.

A little aged would have been an overstatement the entire structure must have been on the verge of complete collapse, for a start my office was completely cave in as were various other hallways and rooms whilst plant-life had amazingly seeped into other places giving me hope that it was at least not a complete wasteland up there.

"Oh holy Spirits" I exclaimed when I reached the Lobby which used to be the decontamination room for new arrivals a wide open space now seemed to be a waterfall for an underground lake. The elevators where directly behind the waterfall but the rivers current would be too strong to swim over to so I had to use my wings.

I never actually flew when I was working in the facility and after 100,000 years my wings would probably be worthless since the rest of my body was so weak from lack of blood flow and nutrients. However I tried to make them spread out but the thin red feather just looked dull and didn't move.

I tried harder and eventually got my left wing tip to move slightly which in my opinion was a great achievement, well that was until it clamped shut and didn't move for another ten minutes. However after all my efforts in half an hour my wing unfurled and then the other followed. It felt really good to stretch them after so long but I didn't know if they would be able to support me so tried gliding first and actually got one entire inch off the ground.

I practiced another time before I officially declared myself flight capable and took a run-up towards the waterfall. However as I was halfway gliding over the river I forgot that the waterfall would put a significant amount of weight on my wings.

I crumpled onto the other side having safely made it but coming very close, I grazed one of my legs but ignored it seeing the elevators practically next to me. Limping slightly I got into the once pristine white tiled elevator now dirty with loose panels hanging off it.

I saw a nearby intercom and pressed it saying "Computer I'm in now beam me up". Nothing happened at first but suddenly one of the lift doors grinded shut and a rebellious bulb began to flicker on and off. The lift began to ascend and I could only jump for joy when it did which was dangerous considering the lifts cables could have corroded as well over the 100,000 years of non-maintenance.

However the Spirits were with me and the floors began to fly by at a gruelling five miles per hour as I ascended into the outside world. Well when the lift stopped it wasn't the outside world but instead an abandoned mine which the facility had used as a cover. I looked around it but the only light came from the elevator which was beginning to power down as the computer shut down the facility like I'd told it to.

I lit my horn and used it to illuminate the way for me. On the way I spotted minor collapses and the remains of the old mine even the end of an old pickaxe sticking out at a bent angle. I curiously touched it but it crumpled into nothingness which made me feel really optimistic about life.

I kept going finding my way through the mine's tunnels knowing it was crazy to even assume that there was still an entrance there and not 100,000 years of debris blocking the way. That is of course when I came upon said debris, mostly large boulders which seemed to grow sinister faces in the red light I bathed them in.

I opted that since I had very little else to do except die then I may as well try and blow it out with my fairly weak magic. I summoned a small explosive spell which should have been simple for me had I had full strength but was very difficult for me now.

I stood slightly back and cast the spell on the rocks however they barely moved a little as the small explosion was little more force than someone sneezing on them. I sighed and slid down the mines wall until my back wedged against something.

Sitting up I looked down to see something red or possibly bathed red staring up at me and sticking out of the mine wall. I pried it free and examined the faded letters which read "T.N.T". "Holy Spirits this is dynamite" I said aloud, hearing as my voice echoed back to me.

I looked for a fuse but it appeared to have a very short one only, possibly ten seconds a most. "Well they do say you can only live once" I said as I used my magic to form a small flame and light the fuse. I quickly threw it against the mine entrance's blockage and ran like hell (which in my state was more of a weak jog) until a huge boom sounded, echoing across the cave and a huge dust cloud enveloped me.

My ears rang but as soon as my hearing returned I was met by rumbles as the mine began to collapse from within. "Ok maybe not the best idea to light explosives in a 100,000 year old mine shaft" I told myself as I once more ran like hell towards the exit which I prayed was open.

I was met with dust light illuminating dust and falling boulders as I made my way through the exit and out into the world. When I said world I actually meant the face of a cliff which I had not known was there and had to stop myself from falling over.

I actually succeeded in stopping myself however the shockwave when the mine collapsed was enough to send me over the edge and spiralling downwards towards spirits know where. Luckily my natural instinct for survival gave some extra juice to my weak wings and had those erect and pointed outwards until the world sopped turning and everything only became blurry.

I felt sick as my vision still tumbled seeing white then black and then a multi-mix of purples, yellows and greens as I glided to who knows where. I crumpled as I landed face first into some gravelly soil and tried to focus on where on earth I was.

My vision began to clear and suddenly I saw that I was in the middle of a children's book including pop outs and colouring sections as my eyes told me something my brain knew not to be true.

I was in the middle of a cute little village with many cute looking children some missing wings or horns or both staring at me, they even looked like they were in the middle of a parade and looking closer I noticed these cute little pictures on their flanks.

They all seemed to have become stock still and quiet and I had absolutely no idea why they were all staring at me until my brain came up with a very rational answer "Congratulations Hearthfire you have finally well and truly gone insane, loopy, mental completely fruit loops".

It was actually really, really funny, so funny in fact I had to laugh at the wave of relief it was to know it was just me being crazy after all. "Oh Spirits you do not know how relieved I am to be insane, now I can just wake up and take a week's leave like the High Overseer wants me to and then get back to work I mean… Wow I did not anticipate my mind to come up with such an amazing storyline as this I mean the suicidal attempt was pretty darn amazing but the loopy ending is to die for!" I shouted quite madly as I got up and began jumping for joy (quite literally).

"Ooh wait if this is one of my own constructed breakdowns does this mean I can do anything I want, for instance can I turn that large house that looks like a cake into an office block or maybe that tree into a library" I cried joyfully like I was a colt again.

Suddenly I heard whispers from behind me and looked back to see what the parade was all about, it seemed two Alicorn one slightly taller than me and another slightly smaller than me were whispering quickly amongst each other and staring directly at me from a carriage which was pulled by some more small children clad in shiny metal.

Despite it being a breakdown I still for some reason wondered if my mane looked good before strolling over to the casually. One was white, wise looking with flowing rainbow air and a picture of the sun on her flank while the other was as black as night with a flowing dark blue mane and a picture of the moon on her flank.

Wow I can create really detailed pictures of Alicorn I should have been an artist.

I immediately flattened down my as I suspected ruffed up hair and said smoothly "the best thing about my mental breakdown would probably be the two of you right now I mean besides from the fact that for a moment I thought I was the only Alicorn in existence now I can really have some fun" I said trying to put real charm into my voice which by the looks on their faces they didn't buy.

"Ok then ladies I guess it goes to show I can't pick up women in my dreams or in real life but believe me going insane can sometimes put strain on others social capabilities so yeah, oh and where did you get this little guy here" I said pointing to the nearest child who had wings but no horn and poking him in the cheek.

"I mean really he is just the cutest thing in the world if I had one then would make him do all my paperwork, without coffee breaks!" I exclaimed truly sounding mad now.

He seemed to stare straight ahead despite my pokes so I looked around the carriage seeing six little children a purple one and a white one with a horn, a yellow one and a cyan one with wings and finally a pink one and an orange one with a cool cowboy hat on her head who had no wings and no horn.

"You know I never thought my creative side possessed such ability to be able to do this I mean I must have based you all off of something so maybe you could be my aunt" I said pointing to the cyan child who had a rainbow mane which made her look like a proper little rebel.

"You know she was a great flier, flew halfway around the world without stopping for food once, nearly broke a record held by her competitor difference only being her coat was dark blue unlike yours still I like how I captured her mane and imprinted it onto you I mean wow am I not absolutely amazing?" I asked everyone.

Nobody said anything and I gestured around at all the parade asking "what's wrong I thought my consciousness knew when to respond I mean geez it's my mental breakdown can we not make it a little bit more fun"!?

Suddenly a sole voice spoke up from the group of six, specifically the little purple one. "Err hello sir, who are you?" It actually asked me. I did briefly wonder why I asked my own name but supposed I should go along with the protocol for going insane responding "why I am Dr Hearthfire of the Advanced Research and Development Wing of the Alicorn Empire or at least I was until I joined the project but I don't really understand how that would matter to you now little one hmm".

"Now let me humour myself, who are you?" I asked. "Well umm m-my name is Twilight Sparkle I'm new here from Canterlot and the Princess has let me stay here in Ponyville" she said making about no amount of sense.

I stared at her and then at everyone around me and then clapped my hooves together furiously exclaiming "By the Spirits you've convinced me, I should become a children's author I mean if an insane me can come up with a brilliant storyline like that goodness knows what magic I can work when I'm not round the bend"!

Suddenly there was some steps taken behind me and I saw the white Alicorn get out of the carriage and face me from a few metres away. "Ok you're confused I get it but please you are scaring these people just come with me and everything will be fine" she said.

"Listen lady this is my breakdown and quite frankly I'm getting a little hacked off with the lack of fun I'm receiving so I think I'll start killing me some innocents that always adds to the destabilization of my psyche!" I exclaimed taking the High Overseer's gun out and waving it stupidly about everywhere.

Maybe saying the K word is what did it because suddenly I was hit by a knockout wave of pulsating golden energy which immediately winded me and sent me collapsing to the ground. "Ok since when do dreams hurt?" I asked before collapsing onto the floor and blacking out.

Once more childhood returned to me…

_"Get him" yelled the leader of the small gang and I thought it best that I lead them to higher ground so flapping my wings hard I took off and zoomed high into the air. The others although a little slower followed me as a spiralled through the air". _

_Skinny was the first to catch me up, probably from being so aero dynamically thin. He caught up with me but I don't think he really thought the plan through as he threw a pathetic hit with his fore right hoof._

_I looked back at him with the expression "really" etched all over my face before I kicked him square in the face with my back legs. He went spiralling out of control until he was crashing down to earth with a bleeding nose to carry. _

_Next came fatty, although he was really slow this time when I kicked him just like skinny he merely brushed it off and gave a small chuckled and evil grin. I responded to this by using my magic to bring down a nearby cloud and smash it into him._

_His weight and the density of the cloud easily destabilised him and down he also went squealing like a little pig as he went. I chuckled but didn't see their leader come from right in front of me until he socked me square in the head._

_I went for the classic "oof"! And weakly flew onto some clouds where I could get my bearings. I shook my head as the leader smugly landed next to me and asked "why is it that you stick up for her I mean she is weak and you are strong you should be on my side, making fun and exploiting the weak" he said with his childish explanation._

_"You really need to shut up" I said, suddenly lunging and head-butting the brute before he could do a thing to respond. I followed up with a few swings which ruffed him up slightly but he also began laying into me. Finally he won the battle of the muscle and stood over me ready to deliver a powerful kick and end the fight when suddenly a very audible slam was heard and he collapsed onto the cloud unconscious._

_I looked up through my blurry vision and wiped my bloody nose until I saw the face of the filly I had intended to save who had actually ended up saving me. Her saddle bag was on her back and a baseball bat was in her hands and she looked so innocent standing there._

_I was about to say something but she interrupted me, holding a hoof to my mouth, simply saying "thanks…"_


	3. First Impressions

**First Impressions **

"Do you think he's some form of chaos magic sent to destroy us from within" came a very witty female voice into my head as consciousness found me. "I don't think that he has been sent by any form of chaos or is in fact chaos, at least my magic cannot detect so but he is… odd to say the least" said a second much wiser female voice now.

My eyes were shut and I didn't really want to open them right now but I listened in as the conversation continued with interest. "Perhaps he is really an Alicorn and not just some powerful trick" said the first voice but the second voice interjected "If so then that still doesn't explain who he is, where he came from or why he acted crazy and threatened our citizens with that metal weapon which the Kingdom's top researchers cannot even figure out how to use if it even is a weapon at all…".

There was silence for a moment and in the brief pause my brain was whizzing with a hell lot of question the foremost in my mind being "am I still crazy"? Since I wasn't really in the right conditions to formulate an answer I had to content myself with listening to the conversation between the two as they went on talking about me.

"Whatever he is I have a sense that he is going to bring problems to all of Equestria, I mean he cannot possibly stay unconscious forever and when he awakens then who knows what crazy stunt he might pull" said the first voice, emphasizing the word crazy.

There was a pause and I could detect even without my eyes that the owner of the wise voice had given the other a wistful look, this was confirmed when she said "don't be like that, even though he had a bad moment we all need a second chance, after all sister ponies gave you one". "Yes but sister that name, Hearthfire I am positive I have heard it before, somewhere I just don't recall" she said as frustration tinged the end of her words.

The conversation stopped entirely now and I heard a door open and the first voice say "I need to go, I have a meeting with the council, watch him I shall only be gone an hour try and read that book on time displacement I got for you ok" and with that the door closed and then the clop of hooves on tiles as she walked away.

Once more questions which I had no answers to flooded my mind like "What's a pony"? "Why are they discussing me like they aren't figments of imagination"? "Can I detect gentle sobbing"?

This all spun along the webs of my mind and the last question I'd asked myself was true I could detect gentle sobbing from the far end of the room I was in which I was now assured was a hospital room and soon I realised I began to get my other senses back to.

The room smelled of fresh flowers the like I had never smelt before and the bed I was on was just like a hospital bed, firm yet fairly comfortable. I even felt some wires on my right hoof probably hooked up to machines and all of this answered many of the questions which I now didn't want answering.

I was not crazy but in fact 100,000 years in the future, the future was advanced enough to have machinery and the Alicorn must have somehow incredibly survived the plague because from what I remember of my crazy state there were two Alicorn in some carriage surrounded by little children with deformities.

In some way these answers pleased me, now that I knew the Alicorn race had a chance, civilization still existed and all now for some reason I had two very troubling concerns. Number one was the sobbing obviously coming from the owner of voice number two and the second was what in the name of the Spirits a pony was"!

I tried to move my hoof slightly, worried in case I might startle the Alicorn since she was I think supposed to be guarding me which was odd unless she was some super highly trained combat magician having a period of stress.

Nothing happened and so I deemed it officially safe to twitch my left eye open slightly. The world was painted black with starry swirls at first but eventually my vision cleared until a quaint little white room with only one sole bed in it (mine) and a few very antique chairs at the end materialised and I realized that they must have been really expensive.

I opened my other eye and saw the Bluish Alicorn which I'd seen in the cute own sitting on one of these chairs, silently crying into a book she happened to be staring at. She seemed immersed with it although I don't think that she was reading it since she neither turned the page and her eyes solely fixed on one spot in the book.

I shifted slightly and checked my body. My armour was not surprisingly gone as was my packs and gun and I was in a hospital robe which I found very amusing since the facility had the same annoying blue pattern as this robe did.

I tapped into my magic stores and found them healthy as can be so now I flexed muscles across my body repeatedly. "They must have used an advanced recovery spell on me because I felt really good, as if I was someone completely different from when I had even entered the facility so I decided it was only fair to put my Magic skills to the test and see how rusty I had truly gotten in my time away.

First I placed a silencing spell over my teleportation spell and then sighting the place behind the sobbing mare's chair I zapped myself over there quieter than a mouse. Everything seemed to go well and I was standing right behind this unaware mare as she stopped crying over what happened to be a scale drawing of the moon.

"I don't remember the moon being dull of so many craters" I stupidly exclaimed before I could actually think that it might be a bit creepy to have a lunatic speak from over your shoulder.

Instantly the mare stopped and not giving a second to glance at the empty bed she picked me up with her magic and threw me against the wall. I actually examined the magic as I flew by it was dark blue and radiated immense trapped power which quite frankly fascinated and terrified me".

I thought no more on the subject however as my head hit the wall with a very loud "Thunk" and I slid down it seeing even more stars than I would on a calm April night.

"Oh gosh I am so sorry, but to be honest what the hay did you think you were doing behind me?" asked the mare pointing her charged horn threateningly towards me. "Ma'am listen the last thing we really need here is a duel so do you think you can just ease off on the magic a little and I will happily answer all your questions for you" I offered holding my hoof out and trying to calm her down a notch.

She didn't really move which to me was a good sign until she sent a concentrated beam of energy towards me and made me duck quickly to avoided getting a scorched behind. I could have used my endless knowledge of magic to subdue her or defend myself but since this was first contact with past and future then I really needed to be on good terms with her.

"O I'll just introduce myself, my name is Dr Hearthfire and I have come a very long way" I started prompting her to continue the conversation which to my dismay did not happen and I was instead met with the slightly red-rimmed stony eye look which warned me that if I didn't continue pain was likely to follow.

"Ok then" I said trying to continue the one-way conversation a little awkwardly. "Even this is going to sound crazy I have been trapped in a form of coma for around 100,000 years after escaping a plague which threatened to wipe out our entire race and very nearly succeeded in doing so since no one could survive the plague yet maybe through evolution we did but without my knowledge which is why I thought I was hallucinating as a combined amount of depression and stress when I saw you in that town and tried to chat you up and well threatened a bunch of deformed children" I said scratching my head sheepishly at the memory of one of my non-best moments In life.

She seemed puzzled by something and suddenly spoke in the witty yet somehow old voice I remember "what deformed children are you talking about, how can you still be alive"? I frowned at this but suddenly there was a knock on the door and amazingly one of the children stepped in wearing plate metal with a rolled up scroll in his mouth.

"Message from Celestia she's just, is something happening here Princess" asked the child in a surprisingly masculine voice for one so young. "Oh no thank you I was just accenting myself here with Dr Hearthfire, please inform my sister that he has awakened and is fine" she told the child whom saluted and ran off as if he was in the military or something.

"That child, are they some form of slave labour created by our species or menial tasks or are they just the result of plaque alterations?" I asked beginning to doubt that they were children at all.

The Dark blue mare simply stared at me as if I was from another planet and told me "you really are crazy, there is no Alicorn left in Equestria only me and my sister and a few others and that is not a child that is a Royal Guard Pony".

I paused and stared off into space a minute before asking "You're saying that the entire race of Alicorn which stretched to about seventeen billion in my time has been reduced to about 10"?! "They weren't reduced there just never were any to begin with, our numbers have always been low we don't know why but we live forever and what are you talking about 100,000 years?" she asked in puzzlement.

I ran a hoof through my mane as my brain began to recalculate the current situation. "Ok how about you just power down on the magic there and we sit down and have a little talk about, well everything from your world and then I'll tell you everything about my world ok?" I proffered.

She seemed still slightly unconvinced but her heart was in the right place and so she powered down her horn and stepped back and sat in the chair she had so rapidly stood up from mere moments ago. I too went over, slowly still wincing slightly from having my body smashed up against the wall.

"Sorry about that" she apologised, probably identifying my pained expression. "Oh no it's fine, better than becoming brain dead anyway" I chuckled but she just seemed to stare into space as I did in incomprehension.

I sat down heavily feeling a little light headed from all the excitement and foremost stress. "So as I already explained I am Dr Hearthfire and I have been trapped inside a machine for 100,000 years, the machine was originally designed for 100,000 Alicorn to hide away in so as to escape a plaque which was decimating our race and turning their brains into nothing" I began feeling a little more comfortable now.

"Anyway the bottom line is something happened and the facility lost power and so everyone but me died and so I believed for a time that I was the last of my race until I met you and the other one with the white coat and rainbow hair in that town and believed to have lost my mind which I think all considering is completely understandable" I finished now looking at her.

She sighed heavily and said "I don't really think I am the best person to explain this sort of thing, for you see I too have been outside of normal time for a while". I stared at her and asked "Are you from the Facility"?

She looked back at me after flicking her mane and answered "no, I'm sorry no I was banished by my sister to the moon for 1000 years after trying to turn Equestria into a land of eternal darkness ruled by the night".

I thought a minute and blinked a few times not understanding some things I asked "Quick question, why the moon, how can you live 1000 years and what's Equestria"? She now looked really surprised and I really tried hard to see what I was missing here.

Equestria is the land from which we live in, I am Princess Luna of the Night I raise the moon and as I did say before I am immortal". "Wow, well this is a lot to take in" I began as my curiosity enthralled me and I asked "I get the Equestria thing but how can you raise the moon it's in orbit around the Earth-I mean Equestria"? "Well it's something I've had practice with and I suppose that it's kind of just a part of what I am, I've been doing it since the three Factions came together in Friendship and my sister has been handling the sun.

"Interesting, so this is possibly why you are immortal then?" I asked. "Perhaps but me and my sister never really bothered, we just focused on ruling the Kingdom" she said and this prompted me to get back onto the topic of the ponies. "So these little ponies, I'm guessing they were in three factions ones with horns, ones with wings and ones with neither"?

Luna picked up her book and flicked it to a page randomly and showed me a diagram of the three explaining "the ponies are called Unicorn, Pegasus and then Earth pony". "Interesting you should call them Earth Ponies" I said as I mulled over something.

I stood up and paced over to a window whilst Luna continued to stay seated and asked "why is that"? "Well if you think of it it's all quite baffling in a way" I said as everything came up and made sense to me. "The Alicorn were the most advanced race in Equestria which used to be called Earth and had many things which you have here today". "Maybe the Alicorn did survive due to evolving inside them but we speak the same language, use words which are similar and my times technology and magical imprint have popped up everywhere" I said as everything began to become more mysterious.

"Well personally on a technological note I haven't seen things like this in my day" said Luna and I looked over at her. "Why what's new I mean in a thousand years a lot can change" I said and she agreed but said "Yes but the three Factions which were divided only got as far as creating the sword, then when my sister and me came to power discovery too was slow but now that I have returned from my banishment I see these magical candles which light up at the touch of a button, strange coal eating metallic giants which run at a hundred miles per hour and even the machine you were hooked up to baffled me entirely" she said pointing at the heart monitor by my vacant bed.

"Amazing, but right now I only have one more question to ask you about this incredible world" I said gesturing around the room excitedly. Luna looked up and asked "what"? "Why if you live in such a great place where everyone is friends, you're a ruler and there is no war or plagues are you sad"?

She was surprised I could tell by the look on her face but afterwards came the outrage. "How dare you I am not sad!" she said loudly. "Well you were crying when I woke up and by the droop in your shoulders and constant frown something is constantly getting you down so what is it" I asked politely.

She stared at me as if I was once more insane and said "Well I have just been banished for 1000 years, alone and I come back to a time and people that have forgotten me of course I'd be sad everyone hates me"! She began crying silently again and I walked over and knelt down to her level, pulling her chin up so she could stare into my brown eyes.

"I have lost my entire time, I have lost my entire race and I have lost the place I was born and all my friends and family" I said seriously. "You have your sister, you're people and a purpose in life so you can't tell me that there is a reason to be sad and I you did a mistake so what, my mistake cost the lives of 100,000 Alicorn and I will never forgive myself" I said truthfully raising myself to my full height and staring out the window with a depressed frown on my face.

She stopped crying thankfully but now I was on the verge of crying so I don't think anything was better off than it was two minutes before my speech of who lost more. "My sister will probably want to see you" said Luna and I asked "what's her name"? "Celestia" she answered and I mentally thought that Celestia and Luna were ironic names considering their profession.

Then I remembered the picture on Luna's flank and asked her "why do you have a tattoo of the moon on your flank"? She looked at the crescent moon shape and responded "well it's just my cutie mark everyone has one when they know their talent or purpose in life" she said and I stared in amazement at it.

"Wait so everyone has their special talent thrown out for everyone to see and it can only be one correct?" I asked. "Well yes come to think of it what's your Cutie mark"? I looked back and guessed that she thought it was covered by the hospital gown. "I don't have one, it's not something that anyone from my time has, and we need to prove our talents with a little thing called a degree" I said chuckling slightly from the joke even though it really wasn't that funny I was desperately trying to keep positive.

Suddenly the door opened and in came the Princess of the Sun herself and what looked like a Unicorn Doctor. Despite the fact that the only other Alicorn I'd seen yet besides Luna was right in front of me I couldn't take my eyes off the doctor and didn't even try to stop myself when I reached out an poked his head.

"Ouch" he said annoyed at me even though I could detect high levels of fear in his eyes towards me at the same time. "Oh sorry I just find it hard to except that you are actually real, tell me what do you eat?" I asked rather side tracked from introducing me.

"Dr Hearthfire!" said Luna and I looked back at her and followed her eyes until they arrived at Princess Celestia who had a stern expression fixed on her face. I immediately apologised and bowed saying "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance your majesty, Luna has told me about you". "Really what things" she asked so suddenly I wasn't prepared for it.

"Well she told me about how you raise the sun and protect the land and err… stuff" I answered stumbling over my words as my face turned red which luckily for me was already red so nobody could notice anyway.

"Indeed, well then we have a lot to discuss it would seem but this Doctor here would very much like to run some tests on you first" she said although the tone in her voice kind of told me that she wouldn't except no for an answer.

"Okay then I'll just sit on the bed shall I" I said plopping myself down and feeling like I was seven years old. "Ok now what tests are these going to be Doctor?" I asked. "Well since we've already tested your body whilst in your unconscious state am going to test your mentality since I believe the first time you met the Princess you were in layman's terms mad" said the Doctor.

I fumed slightly at this but I had to hold back a laugh when the Doctor got out black card which would form a mental picture in my mind. "Ok now please tell me what you see here" said the Doc, holding up a card which looked like an apple.

I stared at it for two whole minutes before I strained mentally and felt the card with my magic. "I see card number 254 created by a Dr Lukewarm at the University of Canterlot" I said when I felt the name on the card.

"The Doctor looked on the bottom of the back of the card and asked "how did you do that"? "Well now Doctor I too am a Doctor except one of Magical Sciences so I have to have good mental focus in order to perform my feats of amazing mind blowing magic" I said in my politest voice.

The Doctor didn't look very happy with my answer and so asked "so then why did you come to the Princesses speaking the words of a lunatic and threatening people Doctor?" he emphasized his last words.

I looked away at Luna and Celestia who were sitting in the corner and staring curiously at us as this test went on. "That was different I was under considerable amount of stress that day and I…" I began to explain but he cut me off accusing "you went crazy just admit it, you probably just had a little too much to drink"!

I never really saw what was coming next but suddenly I was in my hooves and I held the Doctor by his jacket shouting at him "you little shit, I have not walked through the graves of my people to be spoken to by a half sized pathetic pony"!

"Dr Hearthfire stop now!" ordered Celestia but I was so angry that I summoned my magic and without really thinks and a pop I teleported with the Doctor to the foot of the cliff where the wind was rustling and the town of Ponyville far below went about its daily business.

I was slightly out of breath from the considerable distance I'd teleported but I'd gone further than this before and knew my limits. The Doctor was truly scared now and asked "how did you teleport so far"? "Let's just say I've had practice" I said as I sat him down on his rump and sat down alongside him.

He was shivering, whether from me or the cold I couldn't tell but he was pretty loud so I told him to shut up as I explained the valley around us.

Even though the landscapes changed a bit in 100,000 years I used to live exactly where that town is situated right now, I was born and grew up there and I thought I'd die there but then a terrible plague happened and only I survive to see what the Alicorn have been reduced to, you Doctor are making a grave mistake when you say that I am a drunkard and one that if you make again will be your last I said charging my horn for teleportation". "Wait where are you going?" he asked but I ignored him saying "I've spent 100,000 years without company I'm going into town" and with that I disappeared from sight.

I popped out and into the town of Ponyville and suddenly came back with an old memory of mine…

_I was twenty and in college in my city one of the best places on Earth. I like so many at that age thought that the world was in my pocket and most of the time I was out with friends, drinking or talking about the latest races and mares._

_However I remember one day simply walking through the market place and staring at all the GM Crop food being sold and the stalls and then noticing a lone apple stall with naught but normal apples on it._

_I looked at the seller a young filly and her Grandmother by the looks of it and very poor I supposed at the look of their ragged clothes. _

_I looked around and saw that nobody would buy their food since GM crops were considered far superior to the normal strain of food grown and so taking pity on them I decided to help them out._

_"I'd like to buy five apples please?" I asked politely and the elated little filly quickly put them all into my saddle bag as I handed out the golden coins to her. "You going to eat them all by yourself mister?" asked the filly but I responded as if that was an absurd idea in the world saying "no of course not" and so I held them all aloft with my magic and began to work my spell._

_Suddenly legs burst from the apple and then arms and then the other apples followed closely behind. All around me folks began to take a slight glancing interest but I wasn't quite done with my absurd idea._

_I then fashioned little hats and canes for them out of a broken wicker basket until finally I had a little apple group. People thought this was funny but when I set them down atop the apple cart and made them begin to do a little dance all the apples for sale went almost instantly. The apples began to do little tricks and the crowd cheered and gasped as I made every trick more death defying and exciting as the last._

_Suddenly out of the blue when the crowd had just about dispersed and the apples were tiring out a fairly loud voice shouted from behind me "You"!_


End file.
